No Way Out
by wizwitch42
Summary: As long as Luke's known, he's been under the protection of the Layton Family while his parents escaped the trap of Targent. Despite what everyone else claims, though, all Luke wants is an escape. (AU)
1. Prologue

**Stephanie: ...You posted a new story yesterday.**

 **Point? Anyway, I wanted to do a dark Layton fic at some point, and I read _The Godfather_ -**

 **Stephanie: You only read the first part!**

 **I don't own the Layton series!**

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 ** _"At the end of the day, the goals are simple: safety and security."_**

 ** _~Jodi Rell_**

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"Ah, Clark-my dear friend. It has been a while, no?" Layton greeted as he rose from his chair, then turned to the woman beside his friend. "And this must be Brenda, your lovely wife."

Brenda kept her expression neutral as she nodded and adjusted her grip on the bundle in her arms. "Thank you, Sir. I am glad I'm known by a man as high as yourself."

Layton nodded and turned back to his friend. "I hear you have gotten into a bit of trouble lately with Targent. I understand you hate being in another man's debt and therefore ask for favors. However, due to your undying loyalty towards me for all these years, I shall still help you in any way I can."

Clark nodded and looked over at his wife. "We both are mostly concerned for the safety of our son."

"Of course-I understand the need to protect one's kin, especially the younger ones." Layton leaned back against his desk and focused his gaze on the now-moving bundle in Brenda's arms. "How old is he now? Four, five months? Traveling with a child is no easy feat-especially when escaping."

"What are you getting at?" Brenda asked while tightening her grip on her child ever-so-slightly.

"I can get you out of Targent's reach, but traveling with an infant would surely cause discovery," Layton answered as he sat down in the chair behind his desk. "There is something we could do, though-I could take Luke in for you. That way, he will be guaranteed safety, and you two will be able to escape the grasp of Targent."

Brenda stepped away from Layton at the suggestion. "W-What? How c-"

"We accept."

"Clark!"

Clark turned to his wife and put his hands on her shoulders. "We both agreed that Luke's safety was our number one priority. If we took him with us..."

"I can assure you, Brenda-Clare and I will take the utmost care of Luke," Layton said as he walked over. "And I _never_ break a promise."

Brenda screwed her eyes shut and tightened her grip on Luke. "You're asking a mother to give up her child," she whispered before pressing her lips against the boy's forehead, then reluctantly handing him off to Layton. "But his safety comes first..."

And thus, Luke's fate with the Layton family was sealed.

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 **A/N: *stretches arms over head* Well, that was fun. Review!**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Heeeeeeeeeeey there, guys! *dodges anything you guys throw at me* Wow, you are not happy.**

 **Stephanie: …It's been almost five months since you posted this.**

 **I had my reasons…Anyway, I don't own Professor Layton…sadly…**

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 **~§¤§~**

" _ **One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood." ~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca**_

 **~§¤§~**

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"Why are you still here?" I asked as I walked out of my room and closed my door. "Shouldn't you be with the other girls?"

Flora pressed her lips together and crossed her arms at me. "The Professor wants me to personally escort you to his office so that you're guaranteed to actually come by," she answers before turning quickly enough to almost hit me with her ponytail. "Besides, do you even know where his office is?"

"Oh, ow, that hurts deep in my heart—you know what a heart is, right?" I asked as he started walking down the hallways, though she spares a moment to glare at me over her shoulder.

"You know, just because you were raised by the professor from infancy with the guarantee that your parents would come back doesn't mean that you're better than the rest of us."

"I never said that." Flora didn't say anything, so I allowed her to lead me through the hideout.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we approached what many kids referred to as The Forbidden Hall—Professor Layton's office.

"Here you are," Flora announced at the beginning of the hallway. "Third door on the left is where you need to go.

"I nodded at Flora and gave her my best smile. "Thank you. I'll see you in the cafeteria?"

"Perhaps."

I raised an eyebrow at her clipped tone but couldn't say anything before she turned and left.

"Happy birthday, Flora…" I muttered as I stepped onto the gold and red tiles that coated the floor of the hall to Layton's office.

"Come in, Luke," his voice called from within once I approached the door, and I couldn't help but look around for a camera. Deciding the ornate dragon was the most likely candidate, I took in a deep breath and marched into the room.

"Hello, Professor Layton," I greeted as I entered the room. "Flora said you wanted to see me?"

"Of course, my boy," he answered as he turned his chair to face me. "See, I have a proposition for you… Most of the kids here had a chance of a normal life before joining the Brotherhood, but you were brought to me as an infant and therefore never had that opportunity."

"But my parents are coming back," I pointed out while shifting my weight on my feet. "Wouldn't that give me a chance of a normal life?"

"The schooling provided by the Brotherhood is phenomenal, but…"

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 **~§¤§~**

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"The professor wants to start sending me to public school."

At my announcement, Crow almost dropped his orange juice and looked at me with wide eyes. "You're _leaving_ me?!"

I flinched back slightly at his tone and shook my head. "I'm still going to be living here."

"But you'll be allowed to leave," he added as he stabbed his eggs with his fork. "Normally only the casino workers are allowed to, but you…"

I pressed my lips together at the comment. How could I argue that? As long as I could remember, anyone under the age of eighteen stayed at the facility where we were provided schooling and other necessities. Once we turned eighteen, we finished our last year of schooling and were offered a spot at University in exchange for helping the professor's businesses—primarily the casinos—though some chose to simply stick with the work. Either way, you had a lifetime debt allowing the professor to call upon you any moment.

Such a life in exchange for protection from Targent.

"He said I needed a taste of normality because of how young I was when I arrived."

"Like the Ravens were normal?"

I laughed slightly at his comment before stabbing at my eggs. "I thought no one was supposed to know about that."

Crow rolled his eyes and flicked a grape at me. "Jabs aside, doesn't it worry you? Your parents are coming back still, aren't they? Wouldn't tha—"

"I mentioned that to the professor, but he didn't say anything… He's still claiming they'll come back, though." I sighed and set my fork down. "I don't know… Claire and the professor are the faces I see when I try to picture them, and even that image is fading…" I shook my head and placed in in my hands. "It's been so long…"

Crow put his hand on my shoulder, and when I made no move to remove it he said, "This thought process couldn't have just started this morning. How long have you been thinking about this?" I shrugged at the question and Crow removed his hand with a sigh. "Well, let's not quell on this—we've got a week before classes start, and I don't wanna just sit around sulking. Let's go see what sort of trouble we can get into."

A small laugh escaped me as I lifted my head to see that he'd put on his typical grin. "I think I saw something about the professor having a visitor today—maybe we could take a look…"

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 **~§¤§~**

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 **A/N: Yep, Luke and Crow are a pair of troublemakers. As for the whole thing with Layton…he has a plan. What it is, you shall wait until Luke finds out to learn of it. ^^ Outline's done for this, and next chapter has been started, so you may not have to wait as long next time.**

 **Stephanie: *leans over and gives the desk a few hard knocks* Make sure to review!**


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